Rockies beat Cubs 6-4 in 10 innings

Posted on July 30, 2014 at 12:00 a.m.
| Updated on July 30, 2014 at 11:41 p.m.

CHICAGO (AP) — Rob Scahill was sound asleep early Wednesday morning when he got a call from his manager at Triple-A Colorado Springs. The Rockies needed another arm for their weary bullpen, and they wanted Scahill to join the team in his hometown.

It was the start of one fun day for the right-hander.

Scahill pitched a scoreless inning for his second major league win, and the Rockies got a tiebreaking RBI single from Brandon Barnes in the 10th inning of a 6-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

“I can cross it off my bucket list, coming to Wrigley,” said Scahill, a Lombard native who grew up rooting for the crosstown White Sox. “I was definitely excited to have the opportunity to pitch here.”

Colorado loaded the bases on two walks and Michael McKenry’s third hit of the game before Barnes singled with one out against Wesley Wright (0-2). Drew Stubbs then scored on a wild pitch, helping the Rockies stop a three-game slide.

“We got some timely hits tonight,” manager Walt Weiss said. “We got a few early, and then of course Barnesy had the big one late.”

Adam Ottavino got three outs for his first career save as Colorado rebounded after it used eight relievers in a 16-inning loss on Tuesday night.

Luis Valbuena had three hits and three RBIs for the Cubs, including a tying two-run homer with two out in the eighth. Valbuena’s eighth homer came after Stubbs dropped a fly ball at the wall in center, prolonging the inning.

Valbuena came up with a runner on first and two out in the 10th, but was retired on a sinking liner to right.

McKenry, Charlie Blackmon and Charlie Culberson each doubled home a run for the Rockies, who finished with 12 hits. Brett Anderson allowed a season-high 11 hits, but held the Cubs to two runs in seven innings.

“I made some pitches when I had to, and it was a good team win,” Anderson said.

Cubs left-hander Travis Wood set career highs with 11 strikeouts and 119 pitches, but remains winless in eight starts dating to a 3-0 win at Philadelphia on June 15. Wood gave up four runs and eight hits in six innings.

“It was definitely a positive,” Wood said. “I had good command of most of my stuff. Missed with a few and they made me pay.”

Journeyman catcher John Baker had an RBI double one night after he pitched a scoreless 16th inning and scored the winning run in Chicago’s 4-3 victory.

Blackmon and Culberson got their RBI doubles in the second, helping the Rockies to a 3-0 lead. After Baker got the Cubs on the board in the fifth, McKenry doubled home Stubbs in the sixth to restore Colorado’s three-run advantage.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez was out of the lineup due to soreness in his right ankle and left knee. He went 1 for 5 with a walk and scored a run while playing 12 innings in Tuesday night’s loss.

“He’s not quite 100 percent with that ankle,” Weiss said. “He played in that fiasco last night and we’ve got a day game tomorrow, so a lot of things lined up for having a day off.”

ON DECK

The Cubs send right-hander Jake Arrieta (5-2, 2.18 ERA) to the mound for the finale of the four-game series on Thursday afternoon. Arrieta is looking for his first win in a month in his first career appearance against Colorado.

Tyler Matzek was slated to start for the Rockies, but Weiss decided to give him an extra day or two of rest after he gave up Starlin Castro’s game-ending sacrifice fly in the 16-inning loss. Instead, Pedro Hernandez will be promoted from Triple-A Colorado Springs for the lefty’s first game with Colorado.

Hernandez, 25, signed a minor league deal with the Rockies in November after he went 3-3 with a 6.83 ERA in 14 games with Minnesota last year, including 12 starts.